SNAPP - Sustainable Nutrition for Animal Protein Productivity

使用新型饲料材料来增加可持续的蛋白质产量，同时改善断奶后仔猪的健康和存活率。由于氧化应激等因素导致肠道损伤，断奶后早期的生长速度慢和发病率高。需要可持续的氧化锌替代品，作为抗菌剂和生长促进剂添加到饲料中，以降低发病率和死亡率，并改善随后的生长和生产力。在猪的整个生命周期中改善猪的营养也将改善肉质，减少进口依赖。该项目将建立在之前的可行性研究的基础上，在猪饲料中补充多酚提供保护作用，改善仔猪肠道健康和存活率，以及肉质和保质期。多酚类化合物是存在于植物材料中的抗微生物、抗炎、抗氧化的化合物。农业和食品加工活动产生的农业食品副产品（AFBP）易于用于加工以提供富含多酚的饲料补充剂的可持续来源。常规方法（例如，干燥和研磨）将用于加工AFBP以包含在猪饲料中。使用先前开发的可持续方法提取多酚将能够从植物纤维中分离多酚。这些富含多酚的提取物可以标准化作为补充剂使用。当喂养仔猪时，与纤维分离是重要的，因为断奶前后高膳食纤维会降低营养利用率，从而降低饲料效率。通过在利兹大学国家养猪中心和克兰斯威克工厂的商业农场进行的控制饲养试验，将在猪的整个生命周期内检查多酚补充剂的益处。这些创新方法的经济和可持续性益处将与现有实践进行比较。成功的AFBP开发将为农民带来额外的收入来源，将废物从垃圾填埋场转移，并帮助实现净零碳排放目标。AFBP的使用还将减少动物饲料作物生产的需求，增加人类粮食生产的土地供应，进一步促进粮食安全和供应链的复原力。这将为创新动物饲料配方和新产品开发带来重大机遇，有助于英国经济增长和创造就业机会，同时支持向低碳循环生物经济过渡。

The use of novel feed materials to increase sustainable protein production whilst improving the health and survival of piglets post-weaning will be addressed. Poor growth rates and high disease incidence are associated with the early post-weaning period due to factors such as oxidative stress that causes gut damage. Sustainable alternatives to zinc oxide, added to feed as an anti-microbial and growth promoter, are required to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve subsequent growth and productivity. Improved pig nutrition across the lifespan will also improve meat quality, reducing import dependence.The project will build on prior feasibility studies where supplementation of pig feed with polyphenols provided protective effects, improving piglet gut health and survival, as well as meat quality and shelf life. Polyphenols are anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant compounds present in plant materials.Agri-food by-products (AFBPs) generated by agriculture and food processing activities are readily available for processing to provide a sustainable source of polyphenol-rich feed supplements.Conventional methods (e.g., drying and milling) will be used to process AFBPs for inclusion in pig feed. Polyphenol extraction using previously developed sustainable methods will enable separation of polyphenols from plant fibre. These polyphenol rich extracts can then be standardised for use as supplements. Separation from fibre is important when feeding the young pig as high dietary fibre around weaning reduces nutrient utilisation and thus feed effciency. The benefits of polyphenol supplementation will be examined across the pig lifespan through controlled feeding trials at the University of Leeds National Pig Centre and commercial farms at Cranswick facilities.The economic and sustainability benefits of these innovative approaches will be compared to existing practices.Successful AFBP exploitation will generate additional revenue streams for farmers, divert waste from landfill and help achievement of net-zero carbon emission targets. AFBP use will also reduce the requirement for crop production for animal feed, increasing the availability of land for human food production, further contributing to food security and supply chain resilience. Significant opportunities for innovative animal feed formulations and new product development will be generated, helping grow the UK economy and create employment opportunities, while supporting a transition to a low-carbon circular bioeconomy.